ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz on Wednesday ensured government's commitment to reduce the prices of daily use items.

Addressing media after a review meeting on inflation in daily use commodities held in Islamabad, headed by Prime Minister Imran Khan, the minister said Prime Minister Imran Khan was committed to form policies for the welfare of the poor and downtrodden segments of the society.

The minister said price of 20kg flour bag in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa was from 900 to 1,150 rupees, whereas, 860 rupees in Punjab, while in Sindh the prices were at the highest level. Faraz said an action plan was being formulated to maintain same price of flour in all provinces.

The information minister said that sugar mafia had increased the sugar prices to bring the government under the pressure of the nexus.

Faraz said rulers in the past made policies under conflict of interest as they owned sugar mills.

He said the government in collaboration with the provinces was bringing the policy to ensure timely resumption of sugarcane.

He said the government was also keeping a close eye on those trying to stockpile sugar and the commodity was being imported by both private and public sectors to reduce its prices.

He said the government ensured availability of commodities of daily use during the difficult times of the coronavirus pandemic.

The minister said targeted subsidy would be given under the Ehsaas programme.

Talking on another occasion, Faraz said the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz staged a pre-planned drama outside the premises of the National Accountability Bureau in Lahore, aimed at overshadowing the main issue of corruption by her party leaders.

He further said the PML-N had track record of promoting a "culture of immunity" where the elite class was above the law.

Faraz remarked why the PML-N leaders were hesitant to answer the questions about their properties for the last four years.

They should clear their position instead of taking law into their own hands.

To a question, the minister said there was no comparison between the leaders of the PML-N and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf as there were serious corruption cases against the former.

He said that in fact the PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz wanted to go abroad and instead of clearing her position about the property, she was using such unlawful tactics.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020